" TEE ENGLISHMAN'S FIRESIDE." 213 



manner avail ourselves of the living forces the philosopher 

 has revealed. Science must become as familiar among all 

 classes of Englishmen as their household fuel. The youth 

 of England must be trained to observe, generalize, and 

 investigate the phenomena and forces of the world outside 

 themselves: and also those moral forces within themselves, 

 upon the right or wrong government of which the success 

 or failure, the happiness or misery of their lives will de- 

 pend. 



With such teaching and training the future generations 

 of England will make the best and most economical use of 

 their coal while it lasts, and will etill advance in material 

 and moral prosperity in spite of its progressive exhaustion. 



"THE ENGLISHMAN'S FIKESIDE." 



DURING the investment of Paris, the Comptes Rendus 

 of the Acaclamy of Sciences were mainly filled with papers 

 on the construction and guidance of balloons; with the re- 

 sults of ingenious researches on methods of making milk 

 and buttei^ without the aid of cows; on the extraction of 

 nutritious food from old boots, saddles, and other organic 

 refuse; and other devices for rendering the general famine 

 more endurable. In like manner, our present coal famine 

 is directing an important amount of scientific, as well as 

 commercial, attention to the subject of economizing coal 

 and finding substitutes for it. 



A few thoughtful men have shocked their fellow- sufferers 

 very outrageously by wishing that coal may reach 31. per 

 ton, and remain at that price for a year or two. I confess 

 that, in spite of jny own empty coal-cellar and small in- 

 come, I am one of those hard-hearted cool calculators, 

 being confident that, even from the narrow point of view 

 of my own outlay in fuel, the additional amount I should 

 thus 'pay in the meantime would be a good investment, af- 

 fording by an ample return in the saving due to consequent 

 future cheapness. 



